Happy National Coffee Day! Who knew there was such a thing, but I do appreciate the affection shown to us coffee drinkers!

If you are like me and the other 150 million coffee drinkers who can’t function without enjoy their one or six cups of coffee each day (no, I really only drink one – two cups each day), coffee is not so much of an indulgence but a necessity. There’s just something about it. It’s ritualistic, cozy and can literally warm the room and conversation. And I really like the taste of it, too.

But I must not be the only one. Did you know that Americans consume 400 million cups of coffee per day making the United States the leading consumer of coffee in the world. (source) I’m so geeky and find those numbers fascinating!

I would also dare say that I bet Starbuck’s coffee ranks pretty high in that consumption of coffee, too! I’m guilty and happily admit that I’m a Starbuck’s frequenter. There’s just something about walking into the shop and catching a waft of that smell–it’s immediately relaxing! You know I’m right.

I’m also a creature of habit and get the Caramel Macchiato with soy on almost every visit. But let’s take a look at the nutritional facts behind that warm cup of joe.

Based on a Grande (16oz) and Soy milk vs. Whole milk:

Calories 250 (280)

Total Fat 6 g (11 gm)

Sodium 120 mg (140 mg)

Sugar 34 g (33 gm)

Protein 9 g (10 g)

And here’s that same cup made with non-fat milk vs Coconut milk:

Calories 200 (200)

Total Fat 1.5 g (8 gm)

Sodium 130 mg (130 mg)

Sugar 34 g (29 gm)

Protein 11 g (1 g)

Wow! Again, the geek in me is intrigued by these numbers. So knowing these nutritional facts how can you make better choices to have a healthier option of your favorite cup of Starbuck’s coffee?

Let’s take a look:

Ask for 1/2 syrup. Regardless of which milk you go with, going 1/2 syrup or avoiding the syrup all together will drastically reduce the sugar.

When you go lighter on the syrup, don’t make up for it with artificial sweeteners. Most of these are fake sugars, made in a chemical plant somewhere, but instead….

Use honey to sweeten and add flavor with cinnamon or nutmeg that’s provided for you.

Opt for soy, coconut or non fat milk. Any of these options over whole milk will certainly lessen your calories and fat.

Avoid whipped cream. Oh man, these numbers don’t even include the whipped cream topping so just avoid that all together.

Go with a Tall instead of a Venti. This may seem like a given, but just go shorter! Taller only adds to those numbers. (Unless you’re having a really bad day, then by all means go as tall as you can go!) 🙂

Avoid the drizzle. This may be another hard one, but really, leave it off, avoid the extra sugar and calories and I bet you won’t even notice it.